Shale-oil and -gas production. (Photo: USGS.gov)
Bad Timing: California Denies 21 Fracking Permits in Kern County
366,000 jobs in California are supported by the oil and gas industry
By Katy Grimes, July 10, 2021 9:38 am
California’s Geologic Energy Management Division just denied 21 oil drilling permits in Kern County this week. “State Oil and Gas Supervisor Uduak-Joe Ntuk sent letters Thursday to Aera Energy denying permits to drill using hydraulic fracturing in two Kern County oil fields to protect ‘public health and safety and environmental quality, including (the) reduction and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions,’” the Associated Press reported.
The AP also said it was “the latest move toward ending fracking in a state that makes millions from the petroleum industry but is seeing widespread drought and more dangerous fire seasons linked to climate change.”
“The attack on oil must end,” Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) said in a press statement. Grove, who lives in and represents Kern County continued:
“A California without oil is an implausible dream being pushed by progressive politicians. The Governor should protect quality careers and vital tax funding while ensuring Californians have access to affordable and reliable energy.”
This is bad timing for Gov. Newsom, facing a recall election in 70 days, because there are 366,000 jobs in California supported by the oil and gas industry, according to the Western States Petroleum Association,
Also according to the Western States Petroleum Association, the oil and gas industry provides:
- 366,000 jobs in California are supported by the oil and gas industry – that’s enough people to fill every NFL stadium in California more than 1.5 times!
- More than $152 billion in total economic output was added to the California economy in 2017 – that’s nearly 7.5 times more than the impact of the state’s agricultural exports!
- $26 billion was paid in wages to all workers supported by the oil and gas industry.
- $21.6 billion was contributed in local, state and federal tax revenue to support schools, roads, public safety and other vital services.
Western States Petroleum Association delves into Kern County’s energy and economic contributions to California:
Kern County is home to 40,480 of California’s 53,120 active wells.
Kern County produces more than 70% of all oil in the state.
14,213 Kern County residents directly employed by the oil and gas industry.
Kern County oil and gas industry produces $925 million in local and state tax revenue.
Kern County oil and gas industry produces $9.1 billion total economic contribution.
There are 23,900 total jobs in Kern County supported by the oil and gas industry.
Sen. Grove continued:
“By prioritizing locally-produced energy that is generated under the toughest environmental protections on the planet, you can maintain California’s climate leadership and protect our economy. Phasing out fracking in the state of California only increases our dependence on foreign oil and many of the abysmal regimes that produce it. Kern County produces over 50% of the state’s renewable energy and 70% of our fossil fuels, which keeps California moving with fuel and clean energy. The Governor needs to quit trying to fix what isn’t broken and immediately instruct CalGem to approve these 21 fracking permits so we can protect our domestic oil production.”
The products alone made from petroleum are used by everyone:
– Birkenstocks and inhalers;
– Baby bottles, diapers, baby and toddler car seats;
– Camping and hiking gear, tents and sleeping bags;
– Anything at REI, Anything at Camping World;
– Anything in a Prius – particularly the cushy seats;
– Running shoes;
– Dog leashes, frisbees, poop bags;
– Bicycle helmets;
– Water pipes and red solo cups.
No one is immune from the lifestyle supported and supplied by oil, gas and petroleum.
Notably, oil and gas reinvestment has already resulted in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and expanding energy affordability. As Jude Clemente reports in Forbes, as U.S. temperatures spike, so does the need for natural gas.
California already purchases more than 1/3 of its energy out of state. Yet California has been unrealistically and unwisely used as the EPA’s model for more efficiency and more renewable energy, Clemente has repeatedly warned.
Clemente sums up California’s misguided energy issues:
“After almost two decades of mandates, tax breaks, and tens of billions (if not hundreds) of dollars spent on renewables, ‘green energy leader’ California still requires a staggering amount of natural gas (Germany might be an even better example).”
“In California, the recent 33% rise in gas prices was still met with nearly a 60% surge in gas generation to save the day.”
“Just imagine the devastation if the CPUC vote to keep five gas plants online past 2020 had gone the other way.”
“Practical energy policy begins with being honest with ourselves: natural gas is nowhere near as displaceable as some are claiming that it is.”
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Comment from Ronald regarding renewables vs oil:
Ronald Stein
June 22, 2021 at 1:28 pm
Blame oil for the world populating to 8 billion. Oil was the cause of transportation, medical, and communication infrastructures.
After the discovery of oil a few hundred years ago, we created various modes of transportation, a medical industry, and electronics and communications systems. The oil that reduced infant mortality, extended longevity to more than 80+ and allowed the world to populate to 8 billion, is now required to provide the food, medical, and communications to maintain and grow that population.
Published June 20, 2021 at CFACT https://www.cfact.org/2021/06/20/blame-oil-for-the-world-populating-to-8-billion/
We need the oil and we need the jobs. Nice work, CA bureaucrats! —- you knocked out more of both.
Considering this latest news and a hundred other politician-and-bureaucrat-created roadblocks to CA employment (e.g. Lorena “AB5 The Job Killer” Gonzalez) it means more people dependent on EDD (which many who deserve it still cannot get) and the other crumbs that government hands out. And this stuff isn’t done on purpose, huh?
We obviously desperately need new leadership in this state. First step: Vote to Recall Gavin Newsom
We need to push back on the leftist “green new deal” and globalists’ “climate change” agenda in ALL areas of energy production – oil, natural gas, nuclear, hydro. Renewables can provide only a fraction of base energy consumption needs. That is, unless people are willing to live with perpetual (permanent) shortages:
https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/energy/nunes-seeks-stop-california-shuttering-last-nuclear-plant-amidst-energy
Corporate oil propaganda bullshit. They ain’t closing any, just not opening more for the water table-destroying fracking. It’s a permanent destruction . I suggest these folk go collect as much lithium as they can. Berkies don’t cause pollution, internal combustion engines do. Retrain the oil workers to dig lithium. The half truths in your column are unacceptable and biased as a woman’s skirt. How much did the oil industry pay you to write this hogwash?
You sound angry, Clyde. Why are you so angry?
Perhaps if you found a deposit of lithium and collected as much of it as you can it might make you feel better.
It’s good to know that you’re not anti-mining, anyway.
BTW, how is a woman’s skirt biased? And do you hate women that wear them?
That would be unacceptable, Clyde.
I think some would take offense to Clyde’s representation of skirt wearing. If I am not mistaken, skirts aren’t just for women anymore, ask Harry Styles and the editors at Vogue.
Who is being biased now Clyde?????
Where is your gender sensitivity?
@Clyde, you attempt to make the point that fracking is more harmful to the environment than lithium mining. You could not be more uniformed and boorish in your post. I guess you could make the point that another country’s environment is adversely affected and not ours (California). There is no single answer to meet our energy needs and the CA must be pragmatic in our energy policies. In the US, we produce energy under the most strict environmental and labor laws. China a dominate provider of lithium and cobalt use slave and child labor.
These are the facts. The below link discusses fracking, lithium, as well as dependency upon China for these raw materials.
https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/renewable/the-environmental-impact-of-lithium-batteries/
And in the end who does this hurt the most?
The lower income citizens who depend on lower gas prices to commute, heat their homes and cook their food. Higher gas prices results in all goods become higher priced due to higher transportation costs.
As Katy noted petroleum is used in just about every product.
Maybe higher priced Birkenstocks, dog bowls and the plastic bagged granola just may wake up the leftist greenies to the reality oil is important to our existence.
I can live without Birkenstocks but can you libbie,hippie, Prius driving Californians?
Recall Gavin Newsom, it is a start to save jobs and lower the cost of living for all who live in California.
http://www.recallgavin2020.com
All this environmental BS is unnecessary and is avoidable. The environmental nut jobs control this state and this is what happens folks when you vote DemoCRAPtic. As Dennis Prager has stated many times: “the Left destroys everything it touches”.
Comrades
Now what do I buy….medicine or gasoline……it’s over…..$6.00 fuel is the future.
Comrade Queeg, buy the gasoline. The State will drug you for free to set you “free”. “Just a little pin prick. There’ll be no more aaaaaaaah!”
The Getty oil family earned a sizable part of its fortune by conducting oil operations in Kern County. Part of that fortune has financed Gavin Newsom’s FatJack wine operations since its founding in 1992. It strikes me as hypocritical that the governor would now cripple that county’s economy. Such a frat boy – thinking of no one but himself. I hope that fuel companies cancel their contracts with his wineries.